Improvement in breech-loading- fire-arms



H. BERDAN.

Breech-Loading Fire-Arm. No. 101.418.-

Patented April5, 1870' ilinitrll fittin fittest (ihllllirr.

HIRAM BERDAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR. To THE BERDAN Finn-ARMS MAN- UFAOTURING COMPANY, or SAME PLACE.

Letters Patent No. 101,418, dated- Ajflil 5, 1870; antellatetl March 21, 18.70.

IMPROVEMENT IN BREEdH-LOAIDING- FIRE-ARMS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the samev To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HIRAM Bnnnns, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech-Loading Fire-Arms; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,

reference being bad to the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section of the breech parts of a breech-loadin g fire-arm, illustrating these improvements.

Figure 2 is a top view of the same.

Figure 3 is a transverse section of the same in the plane indicated by the line :v a: in figs. 1 and 2.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The first part of the invention relates to breechloading fire-arms, in which a breech-piece, swinging on a hinge above the barrel or breech-receiver, has hinged or pivoted to its rear end a brace, which drops into the back partof thebreech-recciver, and braces the' breech-piece, while firing, against a recoil bearing in the rear of the breech-receiver.

In such combination of the breech-piece and brace as heretofore constructed, the only resistance to the doubling upof the hinge or pivot-joint between the breech-piece and brace, and consequent forcing upward of the breech-piece from the receiver, which might be produced by any gas from the exploding charge getting under the breech-piece, has been furnished by small shoulders on the breech-piece and brace under the said hinge or pivot-joint. This part of the invention, which is illustrated in all three figures of the drawing, consists in obtaining a more efiicient prevention of the doubling up of the joint by snch'a construction of the breech-piece and brace as provides upon the brace a shoulder which projects over the rear portion of the top'of the breech-piece.

O is the breech-piece, connected with the breechreceiver by a hinge, f. V

D is the brace connected with the breech-piece by a pivot, j. The breech-piece is made long enough to extend nearly to the recoil bearing a in the breechreceiver.

The brace is fitted into a longitudinal and vertical mortise, 0, provided for it in the breech-piece, and a portion thereof, which always projects upward above the brace, is made. with a fullness on one side, to form the long shoulder k, which is shown in all the figures, and which, when the breech-piece is closed, and the brace down in its place before the recoil bearing a, projects over the breech-piece on one side of the mortise c, as shown in fig. 3, thereby eifectually preventing the doubling up of the joint atj until the brace is first raised up.

A spring, I), applied within the mortise 0, between the brace and a part of the breech-piece above it, prevents any accidental raising of the brace independently of the breech-piece, and consequent liberation of the breech-piece from the shoulder k on the brace.

The second part of the invention consists in the con.- struction of a jointed brace, such as is above described, with an extension in a lateral direction, in such form and manner that the said extension serves as a guard for preventing the swinging hammer of the fire-arm, when the breech-piece is not locked .by the said brace, from striking upon a firing-pin passing through the breech-piece, and as a handle by which the brace is raised from the recoil bearing and the breech opened.

This part of the invention is illustrated in figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, and is carried out by forging or otherwise forming on the right-hand side ofthe brace D a lateral projection, D which forms the .knob or handle projecting over the right side 'of the breech receiver in a convenient shape and manner to form a handle, and a part of which, indicated by D, serves to cover the head of the firing-pin l, in case, when the breech is closed, the brace his not quite down to its place in front of the recoil bearing a, thereby preventing the hammer from striking the firing-pin, and so preventing premature explosion of the cartridge.

When the brace is quite down to its place in front of the recoil hearing, as shown in fig. 1, the hammerwillpass over the portion 1) of the projectionon the side of the brace, and strike the firing-pin l.

The third part of the invention relates to the attachment of the swinging breech-piece to the top of the barrel or breech-receiver by a hinge, and consists in a simple mode of providingi'or easily detaching the breech-piece and reattaching it when desired.

The hinge-joint is connected with the barrel or breech-receiverby a strap-piece or plate, and this strap-piece or plate is connected with the barrel by two fixed studs secured to the barrel, and a button so secured in the strap-piece, that, by turning the said button to one position, the said strap-piece is secured by the studs, and by turning it to another position its liberation from the studs is permitted.

This part of the invention is illustrated in 1 and 2 of the drawings.

O is the strap-piece, forming the attachment of the hinge connection h i i to top of the barrel, andhaving the two outer leaves of the hinge made in the same piece with it.

1' -r are the two studs, dovetailed or otherwise sccnrcd permanently into the barrel, and U is the button, fitted to turn in a suitable holein the strap-piece, into which it is riveted orotherwise secured.

The heads of the studsare of oblong form, as shown in fig. 2, butare each cut away at the front to form a lip, 5.

The rear stud 0- has a slot, of form and size corresponding with its head, provided for its reception in strap piece, and the front stud 1" has a notch of a form corresponding with its head out for its reception in the front end of the strap-piece. The rear ends of this slot and notch are recessed to receive the lips 5 of the studs, as shown at 8 8 in fi The button U has a broad headv with a slit, to receive a screw-driver, and below this head there is a circular shoulder, 6, which is fitted to a countersink in its hole in the strap piece.

The button is re away to show the shoulder 6;

In one side of this shoulder d'there'is a recess, 7.

The ,buttonis so situated relatively to the slot providcdih the strap-piecclbr the rear stud-r, that, by turningfitto a suitable position, this recess 7 will conform to the. front end ofthe said slot. I

To place the strap-piece on the barrel,the button is first turned to the above-mentioned position, that is to say, with its recess 7 toward the hinge-joint, and thestrap-piece is placed with its slot and notch "each over its respective stud, and the strap piece is pressed down upon the barrel and then drawn forward, so that the lips 5 5 of the studs enter andlap over the recesses 8 8 provided for them in the slot and notch, as shown in fig.'1. The button is then turned halt-way round, to turn the notch 7 away from the stud r, and cause the collar 6 to abut against the stud, thereby prevent.- ing the strap-piece from moving fOl'WH-ld, and so caus presented in fig. Zuv-ith its head out ing the lips 5 5 of the studs to remain overlapping the recessed endsof the slot and notch, and to hold the strap-piece securely to the barrel.

By turning the button Uto a position in which the recess 7 is opposite the stud 0', the strap-piece is permitted to be drawn backward far enough to enable it to be lifted up 011' the studs 0- -r', and with the breechpiece detached from the barrel.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A shoulder provided on the jointed brace of the swinging or hinged breech-piece, and operating upon the upper part of the breech-piece to prevent the doubling of the joint, substantially as herein described. .2. The extension of the rear endof the jointed brace jointed breech-piece in a lateral direction, in such manner that the extension serves both as a guard to the firing-pin'and a handle to operate the breech-pieces '3. Securing the strap-piece or plate which forms the attachment of the hinge connection of the breechpiece with the barrel bymeans pot studs 'r 'r' on the barrel, and a button, U, in the strap-piece, substantially as herein described. v

' H. BERDAN.

Witnesses:

A. LECLERC,

A. ICINNIER.

ot'a swinging breech-piece, or of therear portion of a c 

